


just another thing

by mcmeekin



Category: Power Rangers S.P.D.
Genre: Arguing, Humor, Multi, POV Outsider, dr. manx just wants to go home, i mean this is basically...just ridiculousness...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22568335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcmeekin/pseuds/mcmeekin
Summary: Dr. Manx sometimes wonders if she got her doctorate only to become an overpaid baby sitter. Or perhaps an underpaid couple’s therapist. Just depended on how you looked at it.(Two times Kat Manx helped resolve the rangers' arguments accidentally, and one time, maybe, on purpose)
Relationships: OT5 - Relationship
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37
Collections: Ranger Romance Ficathon 2020





	just another thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [authenticaussie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/authenticaussie/gifts).



> *shrug emoji* there really doesn't need to be any feelings here; just fun. dr. manx doesn't get paid enough for this bullshit

The B-Squad rangers are having an argument.

No, that’s the wrong way to put it. They were “having an argument” when Syd used all the hot water, and Z was so furious that she got the rest of the team involved, and their shouting got to be so loud that Kruger had to come down to settle it. They were “having an argument” when they couldn’t decide who had won light ball, so they played overtime matches until dawn despite _knowing_ they were on call for the morning. They were “having an argument” when Bridge did _something_ to piss Sky off (to this day, no one, including Sky, knows what Bridge did), and Sky manifested a force field that blew Bridge into Jack’s room, which promptly began a three-day mutant powers’ battle amongst the squad (Syd ended it by putting her fist of gold through a Synthetron).

Today, the B-Squad rangers are not having an argument. No, they are not, because that is a headache Dr. Manx does not have the time, energy, or emotional capacity for. They are just…disagreeing about something. Loudly. Having a tiff, if you will.

If it turns into an argument, she’s calling in sick tomorrow.

She hears them squabbling (yes, a _squabble_ ) as she turns a corner near the mess hall and nearly runs into them.

“Cadets,” she greets, already preparing her best _I’m far too busy to deal with your not-a-fight today so please do not involve me_ speech.

“Kat,” Jack practically interjects (she notes that he technically ignores formality, but they’re just brushing by in a hallway, and she finds it harder and harder to find the energy to care about Jack Landors’s casual demeanor). “Tell Sky there’s no mistake in the assignments.”

She blinks, shocked. The B-Squad rangers are having an argument (or gearing up for one, at least) about something actually work-related? Unheard of. Slowly, she turns her gaze to the cadet in question. “And what mistake does Cadet Tate perceive that I have made with the assignments today?”

Sky Tate looks acutely uncomfortable now that he is going to have to contradict her to her face. “We are to oversee D-Squad training for the next week?”

Her eyes narrow ever so slightly as she searches for the fault Sky has found in this. A quick once over of the rest of the team finds only Jack and Z looking truly incensed by Sky’s question. “Correct. Typically, B-Squad would be expected to assist with both C-Squad and D-Squad training, but I understand that you all have other duties and are also learning yourselves. Most cadets are pleased when I assign them less work for the week.”

“I am not finding fault with the work-load, ma’am.” She blinks again. Ma’am? And here she thought Jack had finally broken Sky of his good habits. “Like you said, we are also learning ourselves and—”

She was right; she really did not have time or patience for this today. She sighs and snaps, “And teaching others is an important part of that learning process. You were D-Squad once yourself, cadet, and you would do well not to question my assignments. I am very busy and must—”

“Jack and Z were never D-Squad. Ma’am.”

This brings Kat up short. She finds most of her cat-like tics irritating, but she just can’t help it when her ears flick in interest.

“No,” she says slowly. “But they are current members of B-Squad.” She’s never felt as distinctly uncomfortable in the rangers’ presence as she does now.

The look Z is leveling at Cadet Tate should be enough to strike fear into even the bravest, but he isn’t even looking her way. “Sky thinks he’s a better ranger than me and Jack.”

Sky’s expression snaps, and he whirls around to face her, finally. “I didn’t _say that_!”

Jack steps up to stand right behind Z. “No, but you’re implying it!”

“I’m not implying anything! You don’t know how training works!”

“I know plenty about how you think training—”

Kat cuts them off with a loud, “Cadets!” If she had a tail, it would be thrashing in agitation. They quiet immediately. “Enough.”

She resists the strong urge to rub her temples to ease the oncoming headache. Bridge and Syd were standing to the side behind Sky, Syd with her arms uncomfortable crossed over her chest, Bridge looking at the floor and ceiling instead of at the fight unfolding in front of him.

“What do you think, Syd? Bridge?”

She looks uneasily at Dr. Manx. “I mean… they _didn’t_ train with us…”

“But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be good at teaching,” Bridge interjects, still looking anywhere but at the people in front of him. Syd nods along uncertainly, glancing between Jack and Sky.

“Then, it’s settled. The assignment isn’t wrong,” Jack says pointedly.

“Hey, do you think the cafeteria is serving pudding for dessert again today?” Bridge directs this last non-sequitur question right at Kat, who blinks in confusion at him.

Before she has the chance to answer, Jack throws his arm around Bridge’s shoulder. “We only have one way to find out,” he says seriously before marching away with Bridge in tow. Z glares pointedly at Sky for a moment, but when Kat blinks her expression is normal again, and she’s asking, “Did you remember target practice yesterday? I totally forgot.” And then Syd jumps in with “Oh! Me too!” and she and Syd are off down the hallway, too.

Kat really has no idea what has just transpired, but Sky is also walking away, appearing unbothered now. “Thanks, Dr. Manx,” he says over his shoulder.

“You’re… welcome…” she replies, not entirely sure what she did to help. She shakes her head in bemusement before wandering away, wondering what she was going to do before the rangers interrupted her.

\---

Kat really isn’t looking for Jack, she swears. She’d certainly heard the rangers’ argument this morning (and pointedly did not involve herself), and she knows that Jack hasn’t been with the others since then, but she is not looking for him now. She’s just walking across the courtyard to get to another part of the compound, that’s all.

And if she happens to run into him sitting rather forlornly on the fountain, well, it’s really none of her business so maybe she can just slip by—

“Hey, Dr. Manx,” Jack calls, rather softly, in her direction. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes, which is what brings her up short.

“Jack. Is everything okay?”

He nods, looking somewhere just left of her eyes. "Yeah, everything's fine. "

She frowns and tilts her head. "You're sitting all by yourself in an empty courtyard, looking sad. I'm not sure we have the same definitions of fine."

His laugh is humorless as he looks away. "Sorry I'm bumming you out, then."

She moves to sit next to him on the fountain. "Is this about this morning?"

Jack is looking at his shoes rather pointedly as he drags his foot back and forth listlessly across the concrete of the courtyard. "Maybe." He drags the 'a' sound out, sounding reluctant to have the info pulled from him. 

"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't make you," she points out softly, but she does admit, her curiosity peaked.

He shrugs, visibly uncomfortable with her cautious scrutiny. "I'm being stupid; it's fine." He's still pointedly avoiding looking at her, but she's sure he senses her steady gaze on his profile. He lets the silence sit between them for only a moment before sighing through his nose and looking up towards the sky. "I made Z and Syd fight."

Kat's eyebrows shoot up. With mild interest, she says, "Made them?"

He shrugs again, still looking at the sky. "Caused them to, I guess. I don't know. They fought because of me." He says it like the words weigh heavily on him.

Carefully, Kat says, "I heard all of you fighting this morning."

Jack doesn't react in surprise, just sighs again. "Yeah, I guess, but it was mainly Z and Syd. Sky always takes Syd's side, and Bridge..." He trails off before shrugging uncomfortably. "He just gets upset no matter what; I don't think he takes a side. He doesn't like the shouting."

She tries to keep her tone gentle without being placating when she responds, "There was a time not long before you arrived that Sky would always take the side _against_ Syd, you know."

Jack laughs humorlessly. "Ah, so he just hates the street rats more than the prissy princess." His grimaces right after he finishes the statement, mouth twisting like he tasted something unpleasant. "I didn't mean that how it sounded."

"He's loyal, like you." Kat generously ignores his statement, trying to get to the root of the problem. "Wouldn't you side with Z over Syd?"

"No." His answer is immediate, firm. He looks at her for the first time, determination manifesting behind his eyes. "Z is--" He cuts himself off, eyes skittering away from Dr. Manx's, before clearing his throat and continuing. "I'm their leader. It wouldn't be fair of me to always side with Z, even if I didn't think she was right."

Kat feels soft inside at his words, and she resists the urge to reach out and touch him. "And maybe that's why you're the leader while Sky is not. But if you're upset about the argument, why sit out here by yourself instead of going to resolve the issue? Leaders help their teams resolve issues, Jack." She feels a little like she's nagging him, mothering him, but he doesn't appear defensive the way she thinks he might have been if she were Doggie. He nods slowly at her words, staring at his shoes instead of at her.

"I know I should, Dr. Manx," and maybe he does feel nagged, if he's calling her that, "but I don't know if I can fix this one."

"Do you mind me asking what it was about?" She's gotten too curious (and she cares about the rangers too much) to get up and leave now, even though she is falling more and more behind schedule with every moment she spends sitting here, but she still internally scolds herself for trying to involve herself in the rangers' personal drama.

Jack hesitates. "It sounds stupid if I say it out loud, but it was over who was going on patrol with me this afternoon." The hesitancy and embarrassment lacing his tone suggests that their fight was perhaps rooted in different issues than on first glance. And Kat definitely does not want to open that can of personal worms, but still, she's curious. She doesn't fault herself because half the base is curious: curious about the nights Z spends in Jack's room, curious about the lingering touches Syd and Z share, curious about the piercing looks that Sky lets linger on his teammates. 

She's not curious enough to make him uncomfortable, though. 

"That does sound stupid. But if you feel it's your fault, then you should apologize. It can be that easy, Jack." She smiles softly. "I hate seeing you looking so miserable out here by yourself. Go back to your team."

Jack returns her smile uncertainly, but nods. "Thanks, Kat. You're good at this whole... comforting thing." He gestures vaguely, seemingly trying to wave off his own emotions. She resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"You're welcome." She does reach for him now, unable to help herself, and pats his knee in a way she hopes is reassuring. Finally, she gets up to go back to whatever it is she had been intending to do before she saw a sad Jack Landors moping in the courtyard, but, as she leaves, she glances back over her shoulder one more time, just to reassure herself that Jack was okay. He's leaning back on his hands, face up towards the sun with his eyes closed like he's basking in it, a small smile playing around his features. He looks happy, at peace. 

And Kat wonders.

\---

This time, though, this time it's deliberate.

Everything had been going so well since Zentor, since the rangers had gotten their heads on straight and (seemingly) their hearts in the right order. Kat still wasn't one to pry, but the buzz of the base was how a C-Squad cadet had heard from a D-Squad cadet who saw a cleaning staff member messaging her boyfriend about how she caught B-Squad rangers making out after lights-out in a common room. But Kat didn't need the SPD base rumor-mill to confirm what she could see in front of her: those lingering looks swapped out for secret smiles, the soft touches being reciprocated. Not to mention the very damning bruises they more often than not made no effort to hide around their necks (and Kat's seen Syd do everything short of point blank dare someone to point them out; she seems rather proud). 

Of course, just when Kat thinks everything is going fine, that's when the lid blows off over--

Well, she hasn't figured it out quite yet.

The rangers came in to the command center, not screaming at each other, just all pointedly avoiding making eye contact with each other and standing further apart than Kat had seen since Zentor. Dr. Manx is trying to debrief them about some movement she and the Commander are concerned about in a sector of Newtech, but she keeps getting distracted by the furtive, guilty looks Bridge keeps throwing in Z's direction. Plus, she's sure no one has heard a word she's said, with how concerned they are with not touching one another.

Finally, her annoyance with the situation peaks, and she snaps out, "What? Why are you all being this way?"

They all jump slightly, like they really weren't paying attention and were shocked Kat was even in the room. She looks at them all individually, but Z is the only one who will make eye contact with her. They stare at each other for a moment, and Z makes no moves to disguise the anger in her eyes.

Kat sighs, deeply, and says loudly, "Can I have a moment with the rangers, please?"

It only takes a minute for the other personnel to clear out (and, thankfully, Doggie is out in the field with Sam, so she doesn't have to worry about him making whatever this is worse). 

"Who wants to tell me what's wrong?" she asks, scanning their faces for the weakest link. Usually, she would target Sky, but an unfortunately byproduct of whatever is going on with the rangers lately is that Sky is more loyal to them than to her. He looks at her impassively. 

It's Bridge that says, "Nothing that will prevent us from doing our job, I promise."

The look Kat levels at him is beyond unimpressed. "Really? Then why have none of you listened to a single word I've said?"

Jack shifts uncomfortably, still standing at attention with his eyes focused above her head, but she knows he feels guilty. She pounces on that. "Cadet Landors."

"Ma'am," he replies automatically.

"I consider myself rather patient."

"I would agree, Dr. Manx," he responds evenly.

"I would also consider myself rather professional."

"Yes," he agrees again.

"Then tell me why I'm about to have to sit you five down and ask you point blank if your relationship is going to be a problem for the job you're being asked to do." She raises her eyebrows at him, but it's Syd who speaks up, unexpectedly.

"Kat it's nothing serious, we're just--"

"Nothing serious?" Z explodes, her expression morphing into disbelief, anger, hurt all at once while turning towards Syd faster than Kat could really process. "You deliberately went behind my back, against what I told you and bought the damn thing--"

"Behind your back? It was supposed to be a surprise!" Syd yells right back, stepping closer to Z. "Am I not allowed to surprise my _girlfriend_?" 

"Not when she told you _not to!_ And you!" Z points an accusing finder at Sky who immediately stiffens, looking like he's ready to jump into battle. "Always defending her, always picking her side, when you know how I feel about this, when you could have stopped her because she listens to you, not to mention _you_ ," she rounds on Jack, who looks like he'd rather evaporate than fight right now. "You knew I wouldn't be okay with it; why did you let her do it, and Bridge! For once! Just pick a side! You're so indecisive on who is right, just pick!" Bridge looks the most uncomfortable, and Kat recalls Jack saying _he just doesn't like the shouting_ which is exactly what Z is doing in the middle of the command center.

To his credit, Bridge opens his mouth, seemingly to defend himself, but Jack yells over the protests Syd and Sky have already started with, "Guys!" (And, to their credit, they do stop yelling.) "Dr. Manx doesn't like it when we fight in front of her."

Kat is strangely touched that Jack had picked up on such a detail from her, but more than that, she's baffled. "I am unclear on what this argument is about," she says, trying to keep her voice even.

The glare Z is shooting at Syd is poisonous. "She bought me a boat for my birthday."

There's silence after this, during which Kat struggles to see the issue at hand.

"Okay," Kat says, still even, still calm. "Would someone like to explain to me why that's... bad?"

"Because," Z snaps out, still maintaining poisonous eye contact with Syd, but she seems to realize she's snapping at Dr. Manx because she looks away from Syd and softens her tone. "Because I specifically told her not to buy me anything expensive for my birthday."

"It wasn't that expensive!" Syd defends immediately. She turns to Kat, who has become the pseudo-judge in this trial, and says, pointing at Z, "She keeps going on and on about how much she wants to try sailing and how she would love to do it this summer but oh if only she had the money, and I _do_ , so why is it a big deal for me to buy her the boat?"

It looks like she may be getting close to tears, which is alarming to Kat for multiple reasons, but before he can speak, Sky speaks up. "Syd always buys extravagant presents for our birthdays, ever since before we were rangers."

"Which is exactly why I told her not to do it for me, because I knew she would otherwise." Z isn't yelling anymore, but her tone is almost worse now. "But she went and did it anyway, even though I told her not to, and nobody will side with me and understand why I'm worked up about this."

"It's a nice birthday present," Bridge says, quietly, which was absolutely the wrong thing to say, because now they are all yelling again, and Jack is physically restraining Z from getting closer to Bridge.

"Stop fighting!" Kat yells over them, and it works by some miracle. She tries again. "Sit down." And they hesitate only a moment (a moment in which she sees all of them, even angry Z, glance at Jack for confirmation) before sitting in the seats around the middle console. Kat sighs, deeply. This wasn't how she was planning to spend her morning. But she's here now, and she's going to try to fix this. Because, despite everything, she cares about these cadets.

"I think I understand," she starts. Jack immediately cuts her off with an incredulous, "You do?" but Kat silences him with a look.

"This isn't about the boat," she continues. "This is about Z, feeling like her trust was betrayed and like she's alone in that feeling." She looks at all of them carefully as she says this to make sure they're paying attention. Bridge looks a little confused, but he at least seems attentive, which isn't true about half the time, so she'll take the win. "And it's also about Syd, trying to do something nice and thoughtful for someone she loves, but failing to remember the person Z was before she met Syd." Syd furrows her brow at this, clearly thinking hard for a moment, before her expression clears, and she gasps a little. "I think she's getting it now," Kat says.

"My thoughts are that you all go spend some time alone to think on what you want to say to each other. In an hour, I'd like you back here, and I'd like you to listen to me when I debrief you. I'd also like you to all be speaking to each other again. Do you think you can manage that?" Kat asks, calmly. She gets tentative nods around the table. She nods back at them and finishes, "Perfect. Please go sit alone and think. And I want you to remember, I know you love each other. I can see it, the same way half the base can. So remember that, while you're planning your speeches. Dismissed." 

By the end of her monologue, Z's expression is a little less angry and a little more thoughtful. Syd looks a little more guilty and a little less self-righteous. The boys look less stressed and pinched.

When they leave, Kat collapses into a chair and resists the urge to take the rest of the day off. 

(But when they come back in an hour, Syd's lips look kissed, Z is hanging off Jack's arm, Sky looks lighter, and Bridge spaces out halfway through her talk. So, back to normal, then.)

(And, God, she should ask for a raise.)


End file.
